Feed Mill Services

Feed Mill Services

Prevention of mycotoxin contamination in the feed mill environment

The growth of moulds – and mycotoxin production – is typically encouraged by heat and the presence of moisture. However, mycotoxins can also be produced as a result of other factors that induce plant stress, such as drought. Climate and feed storage practices influence the range of moulds occurring in farm feed stocks, and with traditional tilling and crop rotation practices diminishing in many developed countries, mould contamination is persisting year-on-year, making the multiple mycotoxin threat very real.

Effective mycotoxin management is about seeing the whole challenge, from the farm to feed mill and from risk assessment to feed management. Thankfully help is at hand. The Alltech Mycotoxin Management Team provide a number of solutions to help you mitigate the threat you could face in your feed mill operation.

Receiving

Receiving can be the start or stopping point of a potential problem at the mill. Receiving is often the most demanding area of the mill. Mycotoxins and other quality issues can be controlled before becoming an issue at receiving. It is crucial to have Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) written on how employees should handle certain situations at receiving.

Sampling

Improper sampling can create a problem that may not exist in the mill. This is often overlooked due to pressure from drivers or due to other circumstances that restrict time availability at receiving. However, it is important to get an accurate sample to ensure proper quality assurance is being executed.

Storage

Proper storage conditions are essential to ensure all ingredients are kept at the quality expected at receiving. Proper bin management, monitoring, inspection, and cleaning are key factors that should be implemented to prevent the build-up of mould and formation of mycotoxins.

SOP Recommendations:

• Have a ventilation program in place to prevent the introduction of harmful mould and mycotoxins into the milling system
• Bins should be used on a rotation when possible
• Dedicated bins for higher risk ingredients
• Visual inspections should be performed
• Proper bin cleaning and equipment

Processing

Each mill is unique and will have its own set of specific circumstances that may need addressing. Equipment, space, customers, environment, and other factors will be different at each mill. Therefore, each piece of equipment, manufacturing step, and milling system should have its own set of standards for employees to follow.

SOP Recommendations:

• Instructions on how each piece of equipment is used
• List of issues and solutions for newer employees
• Quality standards and setup
• Proper start-up and shutdown procedures

Finished Product

Your finished product tells the story of the mill. Quality checks should be performed to ensure finished product quality meets specifications, and results in satisfied customers.

SOP Recommendations:

• A nutrition value/particle size/pellet quality check should be performed as recommended by the nutritionist
• A sampling procedure should be in place for finished products along with facilities for retained sample storage

Alltech Feed Mill Assessment

With new regulation, more demand, and a fast-growing industry, it is important to comply with regulation, run as efficiently as possible, and meet the quality demands of customers. To help ensure customers have the resources needed to keep up with an ever-changing industry, Alltech can offer a comprehensive feed mill assessment.

After the assessment is complete, each mill will get a confidential assessment report to help improve the operation of the mill.

Please contact your Alltech representative for more details or to arrange an assessment.